October
2008
B roo ks Av a nt e G ard e Pa rty Ph oen ix Cl ub Lua u Z oo Br ew Spi rit o f SR VS Spo rtsBa ll Q&A w it h Da ve Maness
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Jewelry Trunk Show Thursday, October 30 Meet Saundra photo by chelsea fullerton
noon - 8p As seen in Vogue and InStyle A portion of proceeds will be donated to Le Bonheur
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OCTOBER 2008 RSVP
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CONTENTS
Contents October 2008
From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Signature Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Kallen Esperian This opera diva made her concert debut in the former East Berlin and now performs the world over, but Memphians can catch her this month playing Violetta in “La Traviata” at Opera Memphis.
Onsites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18, 34 & 60 Gatherings that have earned an honorable mention.
20 BROOKS AVANT GARDE PARTY Adrienne Holland and Clayton Perkins
Brooks Avant Garde Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 The Brooks Museum transformed into a ‘60s playground with museum members indulging in drinks, appetizers, games, and the colorful art of Andy Warhol.
StreetSeens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28, 30 & 32
62 ZOO BREW Conor Hayden and Layne Carden
OCTOBER 2008
He’s bringing Memphis up to speed on the sport his native Argentina lives for. She’ll take a trip back in time when she disguises herself as Chinoe Hart Smith in the Elmwood Costume Twilight Tour. This pipe organ builder has taken on a project of large proportions at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church. StreetSeens spotlight Alfredo Guerreño, Phyllis Petersen, and Greg Koziel.
Phoenix Club Luau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 The Phoenix Club continues to attract record numbers at its tropical-themed fundraiser benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis.
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RSVPeople . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 A trek across the city’s party landscape.
30 STREETSEEN Phyllis Petersen
Homestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Nancy Ellen Mills’ display of works by Claudio Perez-Leon holds special significance and offers a calming atmosphere for the Hollywood transplant.
Vox Popular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
68 SPIRIT OF SRVS Colby Taylor and Dea Taylor
Q&A with Dave Maness, the Sharpe Planetarium supervisor.
Zoo Brew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Guests took a sip on the wild side at the Memphis Zoo’s beer-laden benefit.
Spirit of SRVS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Shelby Residential and Vocational Services celebrated its 10th annual charity event in a big way at the Hilton Memphis.
SportsBall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Memphis’ annual fund-raiser moved to The Peabody this year but stayed true to the mandatory athletic shoe requirement.
36 PHOENIX CLUB LUAU Erica Archer and Graham Askew
RSVPhillippi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 America’s Blast Time Dennis Phillippi admits that NFL and NASCAR fans are similar in that both have short attention spans and a penchant for watching violence.
Cover Photo Krystal and Lynn Shaw at Brooks Avant Garde Party Photo by Don Perry
72 SPORTSBALL Carolyn and Walter Kimbrough
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Volume XIV
Number I
October 2008 PUBLISHER
Roy Haithcock EDITOR
Leah Fitzpatrick CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Ruth Cassin Kelly Cox Jonathan Devin Dennis Phillippi Lesley Young ART DIRECTOR
PHOTOGRAPHERS
D.B. Kay John Hammer Don Perry Steve Roberts SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
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Libby Huff Seth Joneas RSVP Memphis is published monthly by Haithcock Communications, Inc. First class subscriptions are available for $75.00 per year. Send name and address with a check to: Haithcock Communications, Inc. 2282 Central Avenue Memphis, TN 38104 For advertising information contact Roy Haithcock Phone (901) 276-7787, ext. 101 Fax (901) 276-7785 e-mail publisher@rsvpmagazine.com WEB
www.rsvpmagazine.com For editorial information or to request coverage of an event, please contact RSVP Magazine one month prior to the event. Call 901-276-7787, ext. 105 or fax to 901-276-7785. e-mail editor@rsvpmagazine.com Copyright 2008 Haithcock Communications, Inc.
OCTOBER 2008
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FROM OUR FALL COLLECTION
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From the Editor
4th Annu al
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OCTOBER 2008
Photo by Steve Roberts
he word tradition conjures up thoughts of my favorite season. Not only is autumn a time of unmatched beauty, but it brings about ideal weather, lots of fun, and what I call “Operation Family Mode.” Bonfires, football games, pumpkin carving, hiking, and corn mazes round out some of my favorite fall activities, and, as much as I hate to admit it, each is best enjoyed in the company of my kinfolk. Though the familiarity and the quirky, but loveable mannerisms of those close to me seem like old news sometimes, I wouldn’t trade any of the laughter or memories for the world. After all, I always get a kick out of my mother burning a pecan pie for the hundredth time at Thanksgiving and how everyone under the age of 40 in my family still sits at the “Kids’ Table” for holiday feasts. As I wrap up another issue of RSVP, I can’t help but realize that two beloved fall traditions—sports and Halloween—influenced my selections for this month’s StreetSeens. The first feature you’ll come across tells the story of a man determined to play polo in territory usually reserved for football, baseball, and basketball. The features that follow highlight a skilled pipe organ builder and an Elmwood Cemetery Costume Twilight Tour participant. While these two stories aren’t outright spooky, put the sound of a pipe organ and a cemetery together, and you’ve got a setting straight out of an Anne Rice novel. Though my Vox Popular choice of Dave Maness, the Sharpe Planetarium supervisor, can’t be linked to a scary holiday, he can be associated with something far more surreal in its own right—the night sky. Turn to page 56 to learn more about his role at the planetarium and to find out when to get your blankets and bug spray out for upcoming meteor showers, which might make for your newest family tradition. What can beat a night spent under the stars? On a final note, the party season is definitely back in full swing here in Memphis, so I hope to see each of you supporting some great causes. With the temperatures getting milder, you’ve got to heat up your calendar somehow.
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October 11, 2008 9:00 a.m. START TIME 1000 RIDGEWAY LOOP Post-race Boo Bash at Marsh Headquarters includes live entertainment by Adonai, food and activities for kids!
www.pumpkinrun.org
901.287.6308 Leah Fitzpatrick editor@rsvpmagazine.com
International Opera Singer/Nature Lover/Poetry Enthusiast
Guilty pleasure: A good massage. Personal heroes: My mother and father. One thing you can’t live without: LOVE. Words or phrases you overuse: “Actually.” Favorite album: Luciano Pavarotti, anything he sang. Last book you’ve read: The War: An Intimate History by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns because both of my fathers (my biological father died when I was 11months-old) fought in World War II. Favorite Memphis musician: Sam Shoup—not only is he an extraordinary bass player, but he’s also an incredible composer and orchestral arranger. Ideal vacation spot: Anywhere beautiful, peaceful, and quiet where no schedule exists. Your greatest achievement: The relationship I have with my son—he is the music of my soul. Your mantra: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”— my mother instilled this belief in me. Also, “Believe.”
photo by Steve Roberts
SIGNATURE MEMPHIS OCTOBER 2008 RSVP
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Kallen Esperian
ONSITE
Onsite
Dignity You Wear Trivia Night Botanic Garden Candlelight Tour Organ Donor Awareness Benefit Celebrity Putt Putt Tournament Susan G. Komen Grant Reception
W
OCTOBER 2008
Brian Heap and Rae Lyn Hartley at Celebrity Putt Putt Tournament
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Caron Byrd with Johanna and John McCormick at Celebrity Putt Putt Tournament
Patti Lechman and Gloria Parks at Botanic Garden Candlelight Tour
Wendy Thomas and Holly Strasberg at Dignity You Wear Trivia Night
hat is the name of the car in the “Dukes of Hazzard” TV series? The famed car is the General Lee, which was one of many answers a few hundred people retrieved from their memory banks at Dignity You Wear Trivia Night. Held at Christian Brothers High School, the competition included 10 rounds of 10 questions each posed by Brother Ignatius Brown of Christian Brothers University, with Steve Sypult recordCarolyn Taylor, Virginia McCully and Reginia Dowell ing the scores. Stein Mart put on this annual fund-raisat Susan G. Komen Grant Reception er that raised $7,500 for Dignity You Wear, a nonprofit that distributes new clothing to the needy. The Memphis Botanic Garden opened the Japanese Garden of Tranquility, or the “Seijaku-en,” for a Candlelight Tour. Pre-tour activities included a sake tasting, a Shibui Kimono exhibit courtesy of Patti Lechman, a display of Japanese jewelry made by Gloria Parks, and a station where guests could paint fans with Japanese characters. This tour is part of the Botanic Garden’s family education program, organized under the leadership of Gina Harris. Michael Joyner hosted an Organ Donor Awareness Benefit at the First Congo Church in Cooper-Young. Joyner’s sister recently received a lifesaving kidney transplant, so he organized this benefit Chad Graddy, Charles Shepherd and LaShawn Hampton show of local poets and musicians to highlight the need at Susan G. Komen Grant Reception for organ donation. Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Inc. representatives were present to give information to interested organ donors and help process donor forms. The Fourth Annual Sam’s Club Eyewitness News Everywhere Celebrity Putt Putt Tournament brought out the who’s who of local celebrities and media personalities. Cameron Harper of Eyewitness News Everywhere emceed the special competition at Golf and Games Family Park. Proceeds totaled more than $25,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Memphis. The Memphis-Mid-South Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure held a Grant Reception at the Crescent Club. The nonprofit’s local leg provided community grants reaching $865,000 to support breast health education as well as breast cancer screening and treatment programs in Desoto, Fayette, Shelby, Tipton, and Tunica counties. Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photos Submitted and by Leah Fitzpatrick, D.B. Kay and Andrea Zucker
Morris and Ashley Thomas with Amy, Jamie and Michael Epstein at Dignity You Wear Trivia Night
Michael Joyner and Patsy Joyner at Organ Donor Awareness Benefit
Brandy Joyner and Kobe Brooks at Organ Donor Awareness Benefit
OCTOBER 2008
BROOKS AVANT GARDE PARTY
EVENT
Brooks Avant Garde Party “The Factory”
T Ellen and Tom Prewitt
Suzana and Michael Lightman Jr.
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Joe and Martha Dooley
Tate and Melissa Yawn
he counterculture ruled the ‘60s, and with this movement came the debut of Andy Warhol’s silk screen prints of celebrities and brand name goods. Unconventional, the fair-haired artist’s prints were considered ahead of the times, making them a perfect backdrop for the Brooks Avant Garde Party. Guests were transported back to the heyday of hippies and bellbottoms with a journey through Warhol’s famed studio “The Factory” at the Brooks Museum. Ladies opted for short wigs and gogo boots for the occasion, while men preferred polyester suits and white loafers. Some gents embraced the theme by posing as Warhol in white wigs and black turtlenecks and shades. Others glammed up their ensembles onsite with makeup, day-glo face paint, temporary tattoos, and glitter courtesy of Paggio’s. “I love being made over!” one guest exclaimed as she exited the Glitz and Glam Room. Club Warhol ruled in the rotunda with trippy tunes and a light show by Mark Anderson. When not boogieing down, attendees perked up at the oxygen bar and reclined on white leather lounges while sipping specialty libations: Kettle of Fish martinis, Ultra Violet martinis, and Chelsea Girl cocktails. A “candy bar” sweetened the club vibe and had many clamoring for their favorite sugar fix; remember Fun Dip and candy cigarettes? The real treat was found downstairs at “The Prints of Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again” exhibit. Presented by Looney Ricks Kiss, the exhibit featured many of Warhol’s most recognizable pieces, including his colorful silk screens of Marilyn Monroe and Campbell’s soup cans. Three-D glasses, which were handed out upon arrival, made the images appear surreal and as if they were gravitating toward the viewer. The “Psychedelia: Rock ‘n’ Roll Posters, 19651970” exhibit located farther down the hall produced an even more dreamlike experience with black lights overhead. The ‘60s adventure continued on the terrace, where an inflatable Twister game, a cigar bar (provided by Cigar Depot), and POP (a balloon game) were stationed. DJ Jimmy Harris provided era-appropriate tunes, but others made up their own by playing the Wii game Rock Band in the Game Room. Needless to say, crowd participation was at an all-time high. Acura of Memphis and Golden Moon Hotel & Casino presented this artastic affair, where each guest had an opportunity to experience “15 minutes of fame”—a phrase coined by Warhol—in the Photo Room and help support an invaluable art institution. And who said celebrities have all the fun? See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP
Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photos by Don Perry
Heather Leitch, Misty Newton, Johnna Popper and Denis Freiden
Sara Hall and Wendy Holmes
George and Nayla Nassar
Otto Jelinek and Kate Weaver
David and Stacie Waddell
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EVENT BROOKS AVANT GARDE PARTY
Bill and Chey Widdop
Amy Beth Dudley and Jenni Falkoff
Scott and Amy Hickerson
OCTOBER 2008
Sam and Melanie Stewart
Robbie and Shibahn Guerre
Lamar and Connie Black
RSVP
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Cynthia Talley and Jan Stein
Natalie Mullins
Cheryl Bledsoe and Amy Savell
Amber Willis and Elizabeth Johnson
Elisabeth Callihan, Andrew Patterson and Diane Jalfon
Jeff and Heather Klein
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EVENT BROOKS AVANT GARDE PARTY
Lucia Holland, Caren Nichol, Allyson James and Kendall Dowell
Mike and Meg McCord
OCTOBER 2008
Virginia Cupples and Mason Bettenga
Alan and Brooke Balducci
Cedric and Thea Adell
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Margaret Yin and Robert Thead
Britney and Kevin Bryant
Veronica Mallett and Gwen Hewitt
Michelle and John McKissack
Kay Rylee with Mike and Kathleen Edelmuth
Jourdin Leitch and Amanda Hammock
EVENT BROOKS AVANT GARDE PARTY
John Elkington and Valerie Calhoun
OCTOBER 2008
Dr. Russell Radican and Debbie Deer
Rhonda Brown, David Brown and Angela Townsend RSVP
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Mike and Jenny Bilderback
Cristina and Paul Guibao
4ST P E V %Z I R Y I 1I QT L M W 82
Jan and Al Lyons with Brad and Dianne Champlin
EVENT Stephanie Norwood and Danny Lee
Maggie Lane and Michael Peery
OCTOBER 2008
Meredith Wade and Duncan Olson
BROOKS AVANT GARDE PARTY
Dana Farmer and Liz Alperin
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Karen Livaudais, Dara Garbunzinski and Courtney Rash
Barbara Jones and Todd Weddle
Larry and Natalie Robinson
STREETSEEN
Alfredo Guerreño Playing the Field
OCTOBER 2008
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auchos, wine, and the tango are knitted deeply within the fabric of Argentine culture, but there’s an oft-overlooked sport that’s as integral a fiber to the South American country as football is here. One of the oldest competitive games in the world, polo is beloved by Argentines like Alfredo Guerreño, who splits his time between Memphis and Sarasota, Florida for a professional polo career. “In Argentina, we just play polo for fun,” Guerreño explains when questioned about his move to America. At 32-years-old, Guerreño has 18 years experience playing polo and admits that starting young afforded him more opportunities to become a better player. His love for the sport began at a childhood friend’s farm, where Guerreño says he would ride any available horse or pony. He also referenced magazines for guidance. However, the biggest lesson the sportsman learned early on was that the rider isn’t always boss. “This game is difficult because it’s all about the horse,” Guerreño says. “Some horses don’t like polo and try to hit the ball with their leg.” In addition to the occasional finicky equine, the sport played on a field almost equivalent to 10 football fields in size presents numerous dangers. Luckily, Guerreño hasn’t incurred any injuries since he was 14 and broke both wrists and elbows, but he cautions beginners to learn polo’s finer points before engaging in serious competition. Guerreño adds, “You have to have heart, horses, and intelligence to play polo.” As the first Argentine to play for the Memphis Polo Club, Guerreño brings with him skill, respect, confidence, and lots of personality. He even worked his way up from a groom before officially joining the team some five years ago. The club actually dates back to the ’60s and since 1998 has played at Rossville Farms, where farm manager Edmond James estimates that 130 horses are in training for polo. Guerreño trains all of the horses he rides and begins exercising them in April for the May through October season. Professional players Nick Cifune and Bill Townsend compete with Guerreño on the team that participates in roughly four games a week. Though a game consists of six chukkers, or periods, the club doesn’t require players to have a horse for each chukker. If a person only owns one horse, he can play in one chukker and maybe bring back the horse later in the game if it’s sufficiently rested. Guerreño hopes this will help expand the team and teach players how to control their mounts since a polo game is about positioning one’s horse and not all out running. “I want to show everybody we have a place here to play one of the most beautiful sports in the world,” he shares. Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photo by Steve Roberts
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STREETSEEN
Phyllis Petersen Period Portrayal
OCTOBER 2008
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on’t be frightened by the floor-skimming, black skirt or the demure stare…this is just the ghost of Chinoe Hart Smith, the widow of the only known Revolutionary War veteran buried at Elmwood Cemetery. Though Smith was laid to rest in 1870, her spirit remains a force to be reckoned with thanks to the willing reincarnation by Phyllis Petersen for the Elmwood Costume Twilight Tour. Now in its third year, the tour scheduled for October 25 has become somewhat of a Halloween tradition for adults and children hungry for tales about some of the more noted individuals buried at Elmwood. Petersen has been an Elmwood docent for the past six years and is more than happy to indulge the curious with juicy historical tidbits, as are several other volunteers participating in the tour, and has even been practicing an 1800s dialect befitting her character’s era. She will portray Chinoe Hart Smith, who lived to be 91, in the widow’s later years and present a reflection of the character’s life. Though Petersen admits she didn’t survive attacks like the one Smith did on Fort Boonesborough in Kentucky, she does feel a connection. “The more I read about Chinoe, the more I identify with her,” Petersen says. “When you get down to basics, we all have stories to tell whether we’re born in 1750 or 1920.” As Petersen makes a small dent through the park-like setting of the 80-acre cemetery, she comes to the Smith family monument and halts in reverence. “The Smiths’ marker is one of my favorites and shares two important aspects of their lives: her husband serving as a drummer boy or flag bearer in the Revolutionary War and her father dying in an Indian battle.” Indeed, the marker stands out among the surrounding ones for its four-sided appearance with carved reliefs of Smith, her husband John, and their two daughters. Ironically, there is another marker that serves a deeper connection for Petersen. She elaborates, “I found an ancestor of mine, Spencer Jarnigan, who died in 1851. He was actually buried at another cemetery that closed and was replotted here.” Elmwood has 70,000 people buried in its grounds, making Petersen’s ancestral discovery a remarkable feat. “Volunteering at Elmwood brings my love for history, the beauty of the cemetery, and my love for people together,” she reasons. Petersen’s good will also expands to her job as a career readiness instructor for Meritan. In this role, she conducts two-week workshops to help participants in the senior employment program get job ready. She says some seniors need the work, others are coming out of retirement, and some are just itching to do something different. Does the last description sound familiar? Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photo by Steve Roberts
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STREETSEEN
Greg Koziel Sound Artisan
OCTOBER 2008
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pipe organ builder for more than three decades, Greg Koziel ranks his latest project at Holy Rosary Catholic Church as one of the most elaborate. “This is a four-manual organ with 47 ranks of real pipes and seven digital stops…this will be the largest Catholic church organ in Memphis after it’s finished,” Koziel confirms. Koziel already spent four weeks updating the vintage oak console, complete with original ivory keyboards, the church purchased and will spend around 10 weeks reassembling all of the organ’s “actions,” or systems of moving parts. Before tackling the installation, Koziel drafted an organ layout for the allotted chamber and determined the components’ weights, which total nearly 4 tons, to see if the balcony could support them. Then came the moment of truth. “The scariest part was lifting all of these gigantic components over a 16-foot high railing on an electric apparatus with a scissor platform,” Koziel says. Though the Grand Organ of Holy Rosary remains a work in progress, the undertaking itself has become a fascinating journey and resembles what Koziel calls “a big director’s set.” With light filtering through the church’s stunning circular, stained glass window, Koziel and his assistant of 23 years, Dave Ridley, assemble the various wood pieces and zinc, lead, and tin pipes strewn about, having mastered a rhythm that only true craftsmen achieve. The finished product will save the church a substantial sum compared to the price of a new organ. “You can pay around $30,000 for a used organ, where a brand-new organ might cost more than $1 million,” Koziel says. Koziel, who first got interested in organs when he worked as a key holder for a tuner, served as a salesman for the now defunct M.P. Moller Pipe Organ Company for 19 years. During that time, he also formed Koziel Pipe Organ Services, specializing in repair, tuning, and installation. He still operates his company out of a home office/workshop and works as the sales and service director for Tennessee with the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois. But, the duties don’t stop there. He adds, “You really have to be a lot of things: a woodworker, a tinsmith, an electrician, a musician somewhat, and a draftsman.” In addition, Koziel is a member of the American Guild of Organists’ local chapter and rehearses once a week with the Rhodes MasterSingers Chorale. The group comprised of roughly 40 to 60 singers performs mostly classical (liturgical and secular) music and holds two concerts a year, with one scheduled for November 2 at Evergreen Presbyterian Church. The jam-packed schedule doesn’t leave room for many extracurriculars, especially when he takes into account some urgent work-related calls. “I’ve been known to rush over to a church on Sunday morning to fix something,” Koziel laughs. Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photo by Steve Roberts
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4HE .EWEST )NDULGENCE IN 3CHOOL 3UPPLIES AND &OOTBALL 3EASON
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ONSITE
Onsite
Christmas in July Women Against MS Luncheon Art of Caring Bravo Memphis Kickoff
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OCTOBER 2008
Thomas Whitehead and Megan Morris at Art of Caring
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34 Amber, Ron Childress and Summer at Art of Caring
Ms. Dee-Lite and T-Remedi at Bravo Memphis Kickoff
Becky DeGarmo, Darren Fribery and Dottie Stowe at Bravo Memphis Kickoff
anta Claus made an early stop this year at Red Rooster Bar and Music Hall for Christmas in July. The party brimming with twinkling lights, fake snow, faux reindeer, and lots of Christmas cheer raised $2,500 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the MidSouth. The Dempseys, The Plaintiffs, and Frankie Hollie and The Noise lent musical numbers for the evening devoted to making wishes come true for terminally ill children. Those passionate about helping find a cure for multiple sclerosis packed in the U of M Holiday Inn for the Women Against MS Luncheon. Kym Clark of WMC-TV 5 fulfilled the emcee duties, and Sue Thomas, author of “Silent Night,” was the keynote speaker. Cynthia Tobin and Judy Gauthier co-chaired the event, which raised $35,000 for research and local programs funded by the Mid-South Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The Bravo Memphis Kickoff at Jay Etkin Gallery informed nearly 300 young professionals of upcoming arts-related events for the 2008-2009 season, presented by Natural Body Spa and Shoppe. Performances by Ms. Dee-Lite and T-Remedi, both of Inner-City South, Sister Myotis (a comical character by Memphis theatre company Voices of the South), and guitarist Michelle Bush entertained the crowd and created buzz about talented individuals within the community. Cookertainment also led a cooking demonstration, and Tonya Dyson of Hattiloo Theatre delivered a scene from Spokenherd. Arts supporters will unite at the next Bravo mixer on November 18 at Hattiloo Theatre for a production of the drama Fences. The Art of Caring featured 54 local artists’ work at Chickasaw Oaks Village for one night only. Ron Childress of WMC-TV 5 emceed the affair with the help of emcees in training Summer and Amber, who urged bidders to “bid high, bid often.” While attendees munched on appetizers from Just for Lunch and perused a plethora of amazing pieces, Daniel Foster Johnston played the guitar and donated money from his CD sales to the cause. Presented by Johnson Controls, the party raked in more than $87,000 for the Baptist Trinity Hospice and the new Baptist Trinity Hospice House and Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief. Story and photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
Betha Gill, Ellen Prewitt, Courtney Neal, Gloria Parker, Andrea Oliver and Carmel Hopper at Women Against MS Luncheon
Jennifer Spillers and Christina Ramsey at Christmas in July
Becky Mascari, Donna Noelker and Pat Watts at Women Against MS Luncheon
Misty Hagewood, Milynda Richardson and Sarah Allen at Christmas in July
Michele Matthews and Topher Lewis as “Santa” at Christmas in July
OCTOBER 2008 RSVP
35
123 E. Parkway Ave North will be sold at Auction Preview Dates & Times: Sunday, Oct. 5th Â&#x2021; 2 - 4 pm Thursday, Oct. 9th Â&#x2021; 6 - 8 pm Sunday, Oct. 12th Â&#x2021; 2 - 4 pm + / 1 0 F m ' F h k b Z a M ^ k k Z \ ^ F ^ f i a b l % M G , 1 ** . ia 2)*'./.'0 0 0) _ Z q 2 )*' . / . ' 0 0- . Fhkkbl:n\mbhg@khni'\hf *) ;nr^kl Ik^fbnf MG .+-1
Additional Information: 123Parkway.com *NOTE: Event is a Real Estate auction; personalty to be sold at a later date.
EVENT
Phoenix Club Luau
PHOENIX CLUB LUAU
Benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis
M
OCTOBER 2008
Justin Joy and Amanda Joy Akins
John and Kate Hendrix
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emphis might be hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, but the scene at the Phoenix Club Luau suggested otherwise. Set inside the Memphis Botanic Garden, the Phoenix Club’s annual summertime fund-raiser exuded the beach-cool vibe without the typically humid evenings felt this time of year. As the sun set, tiki torches lit the path to the festivities for 800 partygoers donning tropical attire of all sorts from Hawaiian prints to sunglasses. Relaxed attitudes were mandatory. At check-in, guests received leis in true Hawaiian fashion and were offered shots in bright hues to awaken the palate. Though some came prepared with their own floral leis, none could resist the opportunity to mix and match their accessories to colorful cocktails. Hurricanes by Owen Brennan’s and mojitos courtesy of Itta Bena complemented sippers’ outfits nicely, but the hard part was choosing which to sample first. The ideal temperature had many venturing to the standing room only terrace. Lined with bars supplied by DBI Beverage Inc., A.S. Barboro Inc., D. Canale Beverages, Inc., and Newby’s, the area resembled a beer garden. Though Super T (Tyrone Smith) had taken the stage inside, the sound traveled outdoors, pleasing all with the singer’s signature rock, R&B, and soul tunes. Smith and his band were the buzz of the night as they had recently performed at Jenna Bush’s wedding reception. All fun aside, the heart of the party, which was also sponsored by Jim Keras Automotive, was the generous donation the Phoenix Club members and their special guests raised for the organization’s declared philanthropy, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis. Throughout the year, Phoenix supporters host a number of charitable events to raise awareness and funding for the non-profit dedicated to empowering the local youth population with leadership, character, career, and education development as well as health and life skills. This year, the luau raked in $32,000—a $10,000 increase from last year—for the Boys & Girls Clubs, and the Phoenix Club will continue the tradition as long as grass skirts are acceptable party wear.
Gina Micheletti and Jamie Galiata
Jennifer Gilliam and Jim Levy
Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photos by Don Perry See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP Brisa Samudio and Rob Rutledge
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EVENT PHOENIX CLUB LUAU OCTOBER 2008
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EVENT PHOENIX CLUB LUAU
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EVENT PHOENIX CLUB LUAU OCTOBER 2008
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EVENT PHOENIX CLUB LUAU Sally Goodin and Jon Hodge
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OCTOBER 2008
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A Trek Across the City’s Party L andscape I Love You Celebration Benefiting Memphis Oral School for the Deaf
auction in an adjacent ballroom. The board of directors of MOSD attending the event were David Pickler, chairman; Tim Edwards, vice chairman; Marlin Womack, treasurer; and Amy Rhodes. Smith says that the entire board takes credit for sponsoring the celebration. Added Smith, “The work we do is critical to the long-term success of each child and family we serve. Events such as this one help us raise much-needed funds to ensure we never have to turn away a child for financial reasons.”
Kathy Smith, development director of the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf (MOSD), says she sees miracles happening every day at the school, located in Germantown, which creates educational success for children with hearing disabilities. MOSD got a chance to share its miracles with the public in the I Love You
Story and photos by Jonathan Devin
OCTOBER 2008
Jim Stilwell and Katie Stilwell
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44
Beth Pickler and Kathy Smith
Celebration at the Esplanade. About 100 people attended the event, with about 35 taking part in a precelebration champagne reception. Partygoers in business suits, tuxes, and summer evening gowns included Justin Osmond, Danny Broadway, Richard Glassman, Tom and Robin Watson, Carter Hord, Matt and Lynda Spinolo, Frank and Grace Uhlhorn, Ken and Susan Pasley, Jimmy and Tempe Chancellor, and Steve and Patty Welch. All mingled inside a ballroom decorated in black and enjoyed an MOSD video feature as well as the sweet sounds of a youthful trio, The Fiddlers Three.
A handful of MOSD students and alumni attended with their families, personifying MOSD’s mission of empowering deaf children to listen, learn, and talk through the use of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and specialized instructional therapy. “Children graduate from MOSD at 5 or 6-years-old and enter a typical kindergarten or first grade class,” says Smith. “Many of our graduates need minimal or no additional special services after graduation.” Guests Beth Pickler, George and Teresa Schwartz, Charlie and Maureen
Dottie N. Jones Survivor Luncheon “A Tribute to the Heart and Soul of Survivors”
Tommy Matthews, Rebecca Cupples and Joe Keohane
David Pickler, Teresa Schwartz and Maureen Smithers
Ronnie Smith and George Schwartz
Smithers, Jim Gehringer, Ronnie Smith, Carolyn DePriest, Keisha Moses, Jim Stilwell, and Katie Stilwell, took in the delights of the Esplanade’s fine catering on white linen. Still others, including Tommy Matthews, Rebecca Cupples, Joe Keohane, Bill Harkins, Brittany Pellegra, Mary Anne Goodwin, Mary Anne Mears, and Jeanette Mayo, enjoyed wandering through a silent
Each guest of the Dottie N. Jones Survivor Luncheon contributed to the Memphis Mid-South affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure by sharing their personal battles with breast cancer among old A Tribute to the and new friends alike. “A Heart and Soul of Survivors” brought out hundreds of amazing women to the U of M Holiday Inn for an afternoon of enlightenment and healing. For a third year, Jack Jones, owner of The Daily News, sponsored the luncheon in honor of his late wife, Dottie N. Jones. Dottie was a breast cancer survivor herself and started the “Calvary and the Arts” program at Calvary Episcopal Church to share her love of the arts. As an honor to Dottie,
“You deserve a round of applause for being heroes to the world.” Jessica Frederick next led guests in a group chair yoga session. She showed everyone simple techniques to relieve stress and said, “I love watching people grow stronger and see relaxation in their bodies and minds.” Once she fin-
Anna Pechak and Diane Powell
ished the session, attendees opened their eyes and were amazed at how easily they could keep some of their everyday stresses at bay. Lunch, complete with cupcakes decorated in pink ribbons, music by harpist Francis Phillips,
45 RSVP
Dr. Elizabeth Glenn and Maddie Brown
OCTOBER 2008
Jack and his family founded a luncheon in her memory to bring other breast cancer survivors together. As Jack took the podium he joked, “The men are outnumbered and outclassed today 500 to one.” Cheri Rudner, the 2008 Survivor Luncheon chair, introduced the mistress of ceremonies, Lauren Johnson of Fox 13 News. The emcee choice was appropriate for the occasion as Johnson is a health news reporter and has told many stories of “the survivor.” Johnson encouraged the women in the crowd when she said,
OCTOBER 2008
Marcia Newton, Sherry Alexander and JoAnn Solomon
and a fashion show delighted attendees. The fashion show was particularly special for the models, all breast cancer survivors, who showed off clothing from Coldwater Creek, What’s Hot, and Catherine’s. These beautiful women included Maddie Brown, Sue Binnie, Carolyn Whitney, Angie May, Barbara Greene, Sharon Holland, and Eugenia Brooks. The luncheon concluded with guest speaker Dr. Elizabeth Glenn, a breast radiologist for the Women’s Health Center at
breast cancer survivor. She said, “The important thing to remember now is that so many people survive who have this disease.” Dr. Roy M. Oswaks, a breast specialist with the Mroz-Baier Breast Care Clinic, also held the stage and told women, “Early detection essentially means a cure.” Thanks to organizations like the Susan G. Komen Foundation, there are more than two million breast cancer survivors today. Contributing to this number were attendees JoAnn Solomon, Sherry Alexander, Marcia Newton, Diane Powell, Anna Pechak, Judy Lee, and Kathy Miller.
Story and photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
Breath of Life Gala “The Speakeasy” More than 300 guys and dolls put on The their glad rags and met up at “T Speakeasy”—that is, in the ballroom of the Hilton Memphis, which was transformed for
Mike Rose and Debbi Fields Rose
the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In this swell joint, all the fellas wore their fedoras at tough-guy angles, and all the dames were femmes fatales. But these “gangsters” and “molls” had hearts of gold, raising close to $100,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation throughout an evening that included silent and live auctions. On the stage, the Memphis Hepcats laid down the hot tunes in front of a glittering gold lamé backdrop, while a montage of classic film noir was projected onto a giant screen nearby. Everybody wore a hat, be it widebrimmed, a cloche, a bowler, or even a beret, to “The Speakeasy.” Di Randles,
RSVP
46
Kathy Miller and Judy Lee Donnie Smith and Michael LaRoue
Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women, discussing breast risk management. Dr. Glenn recently celebrated her 10th anniversary as a
the night into a cocktail lounge from another age for the Breath of Life Gala benefiting
Mike and Gaye Williams
attending with her husband John, was delighted to have this rare occasion to wear the blue and silver flapper hat that she beaded by hand 25 years ago. Guests dined at tables that were also dressed for the occasion with bold black-and-white, pinstriped linens and centerpieces
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Ashley Tipper, Darin and Tammy Drake, Mike and Gaye Williams, Lauren Busby, Ashley Wilson, Adrian Sugars, Britney Banks, Aaron and Kelly Romito, Chris and
47 RSVP
complete with cigar boxes and ostrich plumes. Mike Rose and Debbi Fields Rose, introduced by former Shelby County Mayor Jim Rout, were honored for their generosity and commitment to causes affecting Memphis youth, including the fight against cystic fibrosis. Comedian David Naster emceed the evening, and renowned guitarist Mike Rayburn performed. Among the hip crowd were event chair Jane Pierotti, Jim and Barbara Perkins, Molly Fitzpatrick,
OCTOBER 2008
Lauren Busby and Ashley Wilson
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Perimeter Mall on Summer Avenue. This showcase of quality furniture provides the community an opportunity to sell items in a 15,000-square-foot location while raising money for charity. Sellers receive a 70 percent return on pieces sold, with 30 percent going to Les Passees’ 2008 beneficiaries: John Calipari Basketball School, Memphis Elite All Stars, Les Passees Kids on the Block, and MIFA’s City Kitchen. Coach Calipari even helped out by filling in as honorary host for the preview party. As Les Passees president Libby Hubbard presented the
Lisa and Chris Williamson
Lisa Williamson, Ruby Nichols, Donnie Smith, Michael LaRoue, Jaredan Braal, and Candace Gustine. Story and photos by Kelly Cox
OCTOBER 2008
Les Passees Stock Exchange Preview Party The Les Passees Stock Exchange Preview Party attracts buyers and sellers of rare antiques and vintage finds year after year. While the format stays the same, the location always changes, with this year’s event taking place at the
48 RSVP
Chantal Johnson, Kristina Bennett and Tracy Hubbard
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R S V P M A G A Z I N E . C O M
coach with a $50,000 check for his basketball school, he said, “Because of this donation, you have reached out to 800 young people in the community. Ladies, you ought to be proud of what you did and for the 100 years you’ve helped this community.” Calipari added that he hopes to operate his basketball school year-round in the future. Though the Stock Exchange lasts through October 25, many wanted to have the first pick on opening night. From a zebra rug to a 1960s Bally slot machine to plush leather chairs, there wasn’t a shortage of selection or volunteers, as Les Passees enlisted the help of the entire organization. While the crowd perused displays set up
Carmel Orillion, Marcia Rast and Kathy Brown
by Les Passees members, violinist Donna Wolf added some ambiance to the occasion. Shoppers Carmel Orillion, Marcia Rast, and Kathy Brown came from as far as New Orleans to escape Hurricane Gustav and find new treasures for their homes. Kristina Bennett and Tracy Hubbard gra-
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Orpheum 80th Anniversary Gala “A Salute to Broadway” When an artist reaches 80 years of age, there’s certainly cause for celebration, but when the birthday belongs to a beloved landmark venue of the arts, the whole town can’t help but get in on the merrymaking. The magnificent Orpheum Theatre celebrated its 80th anniversary with a gala and preview per-
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OCTOBER 2008
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ciously chaired this year’s event with the help of co-chair Chantal Johnson. Others who supported the effort were Mimi Taylor, Semmes Humphreys, Jim Taylor, Betsy Szulewski, Elma Schnapp, Maureen Weinhold, Chris and Lori Norman, Kisha Trezevant, Mallory Hughey, and Lauren Campbell.
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Wiertelak along with the Memphis Development Foundation opened the gala with a sponsors’ reception in the elite Broadway Club, with cocktails and a buffet of tantalizing appetizers by Café Society and Crave. Contributors also included Armstrong Relocation, Mrs. Willard Sparks, Fred and Charlotte Hodges, Roadshow BMW/MINI, Thomas and Betts Corporation, Dr. Robert Anderson, AutoZone, the Commercial Appeal, Pickler Wealth Advisors, Wright Investment Properties, Marsh
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OCTOBER 2008
Greg and Gina Jones, and Mark and Lucy Forrester, braved the looming storm clouds. Fortunately, bad weather held out this evening. After a brief celebratory welcome by Dominic Pileggi, chairman of the Memphis Development Foundation, the performance began with a rousing concert by John Hiltonsmith on the legendary Orpheum Wurlitzer organ. Afterward, a rapt audience including Rick and Nicola Allen, Don and Mary Heezen, Bill and Bobbie Bessire, Jerry Patton, Pat Patton Tanner, Ramona Fenner, and Thomas Jones took in medleys and musical selections from The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia!, Wicked, The Pajama Game, CATS, Fiddler on the Roof, and other Broadway favorites. Broadway veterans Nat Chandler, Teri Dale Hansen, Rosena Hill, and Norm Lewis daz-
Ramona Fenner and Thomas Jones
zled the audience with solos, duets, and, at times, quartets of great musical arias “Memory,” “Music of the Night,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” and “All That Jazz.” The Memphis Symphony Orchestra, under the flawless direction of James Feddeck, accompanied the singers with precision and brilliance. The Orpheum’s CEO and president, Pat Halloran, called the evening a fitting tribute to the ageold stage that has hosted musical theatre greats Yul Brynner, Anthony Quinn, Lena Horne, and Carol Channing. “This is one of those evenings that everyone attending will remember forever,” he said. Story and photos by Jonathan Devin
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The Curtain Exchange of Memphis 402 Perkins Extended Memphis, TN 38117 901-767-4055 (phone) 901-7674054 (fax) Tcememphis@birch.net
HOMEST YLE
HOMESTYLE Featured Home of Nancy Ellen Mills
Left: Entering the sunny living room, one is immediately welcomed by an 8-by-12-foot triptych painting titled “Christ Crossing the Threshold.”
Below: Even from Perez-Leon’s preliminary sketch for the triptych, shown here, Mills knew she’d put
OCTOBER 2008
her trust in the right artist.
SYMBOLIC SHELTER
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N
ancy Ellen Mills—actress, mother, and horse enthusiast—lives east of Memphis on 51 acres of pastures and wooded land referred to, for its lake, as “The Pond.” But Mills is just as likely to call her home a sanctuary. This three-story, Southern Colonial house was custom built in 1995, and its open and sunlit interior spaces hold an almost cathedral-like atmosphere of peace and calm. “No noise, no traffic,” says Mills. “It’s a total retreat.” Having just returned from the stables, Mills greets her guests with tall glasses of iced passionfruit tea, doffs her well-worn cowboy boots, picks up a small fan emblazoned with a geisha, and sets about showing her visitors what she loves best in the house—a collection of commissioned pieces by artist Claudio Perez-Leon. Passing through the foyer, with its faux zebra rug and steeply-curving staircase, one enters the lofty-ceilinged living room and is immediately welcomed by the beating heart of the home: an arresting, 8-by-12-foot, painted wood triptych titled “Christ Crossing the Threshold” that hangs above the fireplace. “Most people would probably hang a mirror there,” admits Mills. But around the time of the house’s construction, she sought out Perez-Leon, a Peruvian-born graduate of Memphis College of Art whom she’d read about in a Commercial Appeal article noting his preference for working on a large scale. “I wanted a depiction of Christ as though He were coming right through that door and saying hello,” she says, pointing to the entry to the kitchen. “That relaxed familiarity, that joyful ease.” And so, in a move so rich in symbolism it could have been pulled from one of Mills’ movies, Perez-Leon acquired special permission to temporarily move his studio into the bell tower that rises above the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Central
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HOMEST YLE OCTOBER 2008 RSVP
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Avenue. Painting late into the night throughout a 12-month period, Perez-Leon experienced a range of powerful emotions, which he related to Mills during her many visits to view the work-in-progress. “I had never worked with a true artist before—everything was a revelation,” says Mills. “Even from Claudio’s preliminary drawing, it was clear that I’d put my trust in the right person.” Working closely with a local artist to execute her idea was especially important to Mills. Brought up in Hollywood, she is passionate about the creative scene in her adopted hometown. Co-founder of Memphis-based Wild Heart Productions and represented by agent Lisa Lax, she contributes to the growing Memphis film community while appearing onscreen alongside the likes of Ashley Judd and Jason Lewis. Recently, she was extremely pleased to work on a feature film with Memphis music legend and actor Ed Bruce. This [Memphis] is the place to be, as far as Mills is concerned. But at the same time, she says of PerezLeon’s work, “These paintings will make home for me wherever I go.” Rooted in the tradition of religious art yet unmistakably contemporary, “Christ Crossing the Threshold” is laden with references to biblical passages, Byzantine icons, and the movement of the work’s celestial bodies. An example of the work’s intellectual and spiritual complexity is the pattern of gold dots on the prayer shawl worn by Christ, which spells out, in Braille, verses from the Old Testament on the left and from the New Testament on the right. Notable are Christ’s genial expression and healthy, robust form, to which Mills guided the artist. The nail wounds one often sees are healed over, though the scars remain. When the panels are closed, the triptych reveals a lion and a lamb, with eerily human-like eyes, standing together on a field of green and wearing halos of a starry night. Mills so loved the piece that she drew from it the paint colors used throughout the house: soft matte gold, indigo blue, and cherry red. One can sink into the plush sofa, with its raised texture reminiscent of cheetah spots, and gaze meditatively at the triptych while
Above: In the dining room, a canvas by the same artist hangs above the solid mahogany dining table, while azure stripes in the rug and upholstered seats play on the natural patterns of the domestic cherry floors.
Above: Mills also commissioned from artist Claudio Perez-Leon this pastel portrait based on the Shroud of Turin.
beams of sunlight stream through the high, arched windows and a pair of French doors that open to the pool and patio beyond. Completing the harmony of the living room are anaglyptic crimson wallpaper, a leather-topped coffee table, a trio of cowhide chairs, heavy drapes bearing a Native American pattern, scalloped-edge occasional tables of inlaid wood, and, remarkably, a Virgen de Guadalupe that is also an authentic second-degree relic. “Christ Crossing the Threshold” was only the beginning of Mills’ commissions from Perez-Leon. At the end of the hallway adjacent to the living room is a pastel portrait by the artist based on the Shroud of Turin. The centerpiece of the unfussy dining room is a canvas by Perez-Leon hung above the solid mahogany dining table. It is a depiction of a blazing, refracted sun partially overlaid by a feathery wash of white. This painting is an interpretation of Mills’ 1990 trip to Medjugorje (in the former Yugoslavia) where part of the experience was seeking out a local phenomenon called the “miracle of the sun,” which is imbued with spiritual meaning and has been widely written about. The deep blue walls and ceiling are set off by very wide but simple white crown molding, while the azure stripes in the area rug and upholstered seats play on the natural patterns and rich hues of the random-width, domestic cherry floors. Transom windows throughout the home offer a tree-filled view, while ample use of unpainted wood adds further warmth and animal-inspired patterns give a nod to Mills’ affinity for fourlegged creatures. But it is clearly the art she’s commissioned that gives the greatest glimpse into her home and her self. Significantly, Mills’ canine companion, a little sweetheart named Libby who is the color and approximate shape of a cotton ball, happens to be Maltese and half Lhasa Apso. “It turns out that both those breeds were originally temple dogs in Asia,” explains Mills. “And it makes sense. This home is like a temple for me.” Story by Kelly Cox Photos by Steve Roberts
VOX POPULAR
Vox Popular Q&A with Dave Maness
D
ave Maness is the breath of fresh air the Sharpe Planetarium (located in the Pink Palace Museum) needed after enduring nearly three years of low-level operation. Since joining the institution as the planetarium supervisor earlier this year, he organized educational programming for school children in a month’s time and has plans to update the theatre for full dome video capability. Always in awe of the universe, Maness says his generation had an “Ah-hah” experience with the Apollo lunar mission, but he hopes younger generations can share in that same euphoria by observing virtually replicated versions of space in the planetarium. RSVP editor Leah Fitzpatrick sat down with Maness as he previewed the planetarium’s newest program, The Planets, and shared his prediction that the next “Ah-hah” moment will be the announcement that life has been discovered on Mars.
RSVP: How did your childhood experiences shape your love of astronomy?
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RSVP: Tell me more about what you did in that planetarium job.
RSVP: Did you pursue astronomy in college?
Maness: That job was at the Peninsula Nature & Science Center in Newport News, Virginia. That was a small 30-foot planetarium theatre with 70 bench seats. Later on, they renovated that theatre, took out those bench seats, put in individual seats, and oriented all of them in the same direction, which is kind of helpful because otherwise we have to duplicate the slides so each half sees the same images. My first title there was assistant planetarium director. Then I became planetarium curator, which was a different type of position with more responsibility in the theatre and more focus on the technical aspects of the theatre and production. I did a lot of maintenance of the various projectors and machines as well.
Maness: Well, I got a telescope as a kid and started an astronomy club in high school. In my freshman year of college [at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh], I took astronomy, which was kind of ambitious. Even though astronomy was thought of as the easy elective, it’s not an easy class. People are usually surprised by that. My college had a small planetarium, and I happened to ask the professor if he ever used any student help, and he told me to come see him and he would get me started…Dr. Glenn Myer, he’s still there. He was my first planetarium mentor. RSVP: What did you learn from you first hands-on planetarium experience? Maness: I was kind of shy, and public speaking wasn’t easy for me. But being put in that position over and over again doing live and taped programs for school groups got me out of that and got me lots of good experience with public speaking. We also got to do quite a few productions, so we would write the script, do the story board, find the images and install them into whatever projectors we had, and operate the program. Opening night was kind of like a theatrical opening of a show. The program was open to the community as well as students. RSVP: After college, did you get a job working in astronomy? Maness: Well, I was not sure I wanted to be a classroom-style teacher. I loved the planetarium work, but that’s different from being in front of a blackboard or a whiteboard in front of the same 30 students day after day after day. With my personality at the time,
RSVP: What attracted you to the job at the Sharpe Planetarium? Photos by Don Perry
OCTOBER 2008
Maness: I grew up with the space program and that was spurred on by the Russians really because they were the first to put something into orbit. I’m not sure what my first memory was but one of them concerned people in my family—older brothers and sisters—hanging outside trying to look for satellites going over. About that time, there weren’t very many of them, but there were Russian ones and one American satellite they could possibly see. There’s a great Web site now where people can go to see satellites. I think it’s heavens-above.com.
I thought these high school kids would walk all over me. I was a pushover [laughs]. I wanted to steer my career into something that could maybe help students, but on a one-to-one basis, so I took the psychology path to be a guidance counselor. But all of the time I was maintaining my work and my connections to the planetarium theatre just as an option. A semester before I graduated from graduate school to become a counselor, I heard about a job at a planetarium. I could have gone either way, but I was really rooting for the planetarium because that’s where my real love was.
Maness: I had visited the planetarium before. In fact, in 1981, the Pink Palace Planetarium hosted a conference called the Southeastern Planetarium Association Conference, and that was my very first conference experience. I was very impressed with it and had some wonderful experiences while I was in Memphis, one of which was meeting a famous astronomer, Dr. Bart Bok [since deceased]. He and his wife [Dr. Priscilla Bok, also deceased] were pretty famous astronomers, and he had been invited to be a guest speaker at the banquet. Another memory was sitting at a picnic table outside of the Pink Palace, and we had one of our lunches there during the conference and I sat at the same picnic table with Dr. Bok, who was always telling stories about how he and his wife explored the universe. RSVP: What were some of the challenges when you took on the job as planetarium supervisor?
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Maness: I first have to say that this department used to involve four or five full-time staff members, so that was the first challenge…get the theatre that was kind of semi-mothballed back into full operation. The first step in that was to offer school programs, so I had to make up a slate of programs that we could offer. I started March 4 and was open April 1 for a whole slate of school programs and ran those up until school closed. One of the first school programs that I offered was from Loch Ness Productions and called The Cowboy Astronomer, and that’s the one that has the Bart Bok story in it; we’ll offer this program again in the fall. In June, the next step was to offer public programs in the afternoons.
OCTOBER 2008
RSVP: What are the day-to-day responsibilities you have at the Sharpe Planetarium?
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Maness: Checking all of the equipment. Changing a lot of slide projector lamps, some of which won’t be necessary in the future when we add full dome capabilities here. We will simply incorporate the digital images into the projector system. We’ll project digital slides, but the images will come up through the full dome system rather than through all these hundred slide projectors. I have to plan events in the future. We have an event coming up that will involve the public observing through telescopes out at the Lichterman Nature Center from 6 to 9 p.m. on October 11, and we’ll probably do it again in the spring. Sunset will happen maybe an hour or so after we start, and hopefully after that we’ll get a view of the moon and maybe a planet or two and whatever else is visible that night. I’ll be bringing tele-
scopes, and the Memphis Astronomical Society members will bring their own telescopes and set up along with us, so there should be plenty of scopes for people to look through. RSVP: What kinds of new programs are you working on? Maness: The next one is called The Planets and will run through the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It’s narrated by Kate Mulgrew of “Star Trek: Voyager” fame; she’s known as Captain Kathryn Janeway. It is a great tour of the solar system with the latest information. RSVP: Are any undiscovered planets mentioned in the The Planets? Maness: They certainly talk about it, yeah. We talk about planets around other stars and one particular star that was known to be the home of Mr. Spock [laughs]. RSVP: You told me before the interview a little about the moon rock on display in the lobby. How many other planetariums have moon rocks? Maness: I don’t really know. That would be a question for NASA. NASA strictly controls all of the rocks that came from the moon. They want to make sure they’re displayed properly and have proper security onsite because moon rocks are very rare. Moon rocks aren’t a property of NASA actually, but are a property of the American people. NASA is the caretaker.
RSVP: What is the optimum viewing time for people to look for these meteor showers at home? Maness: It kind of depends on the time of day that the direction the earth is traveling through space is up above our heads. It’s kind of hard to say that, but as we rotate sometimes the direction we’re traveling as we revolve around the sun is overhead, that can be daytime, so the meteor shower would be happening during the daytime. But if it happens to be that that part of the sky is up overhead at night, then we’ll be able to see the direction we’re traveling in and be able to see some of the little particles. Usually, they’re small particles left behind by comets. If these comets happen to cross the orbit of the earth, then the earth goes through this debris trail and these little streaks happen as they strike the atmosphere of the earth at 100,000 miles an hour or more. Most often, they don’t even leave streaks. They are just a little flash
RSVP: What do you want visitors to take away from a visit to the Sharpe Planetarium?
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Maness: There’s one on October 20, the Orionids. Then there’s a bigger one December 13, the Geminids. That’s one I’ve enjoyed watching. The night sky gets darker earlier at that time, and Gemini is a prominent constellation that you can see. If you can see the constellation the meteor shower is named after, then you’re pretty much aiming in the right spot.
of light as they move across. They last on average about three days at the most, but the peak can be a pretty narrow peak of three hours.
Maness: I hope they kind of connect to the night sky and if they have in their background an experience where they saw the night sky at its best, they can know they can come to the planetarium theatre and see that same view. Hopefully, they will go outside and take a look at the night sky and compare that to their idealized memory of what it was like at its best. People who live in the city don’t see the night sky at its best, and that’s what we call light pollution. It doesn’t have to be that way, and many more cities are getting in the mode of trying to preserve the heritage of the night sky. I think it’s everyone’s right to see the night sky the way our ancestors saw it before city lights. RSVP: Where would you like to see this program a few years from now? Maness: I’d love to see the full dome video come about and give Memphians a new experience, an experience that is cutting-edge. I like to refer to the whole experience as the world’s best virtual reality experience, and it was the first, too. You don’t have to worry about the weather conditions outside or city lights. It’s a great educational experience and an emotional experience to connect to the environment and the universe.
OCTOBER 2008
RSVP: I’ve read that several meteor showers will take place this fall, so can you tell me about a few that might be visible to Memphians?
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Join us for a
Grand Opening Reception
October 24, 2008 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM WKNO-TV Studio on the South Campus of The University of Memphis at Park and Getwell Preview artwork from over 300 Mid-South artists and galleries that will be sold during Gallery 10: The WKNO Art & Antiques Auction, broadcast live on Channel 10, November 8, 9 & 15, 16.
901.325.6582
wkno.org
ONSITE
Onsite
Pink Palace IMAX Club Party Cotton Museum Fund-raiser WINGS Artist of the Year Reception Memphis Mafia Meet & Greet Elvis Presley Memorial Dinner
T
OCTOBER 2008
Audrey, Max and Sue Langham at Cotton Museum Fund-raiser
Louise and Calvin Turley at Cotton Museum Fund-raiser
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Chuck and Tami Farr with Ken and Murray Johnson at Cotton Museum Fund-raiser
Connie McCarter and Marian Cocke at Elvis Presley Memorial Dinner
he Pink Palace IMAX Club Members Party went all aboard for a sneak preview of the National Geographic film Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure. Mike Everhart, author of “Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure” and lead consultant for the movie based on his book, attended opening night and filled viewers in on the action. Heart & Soul Catering Inc., Wade & Company Catering, Delectables Catering & Company, Another Roadside Attraction, Hog Wild and Miss Cordelia’s all contributed to the monster munchies. Cotton brokers, farmers, board members, and other cotton industry friends enjoyed the Laid-By and Waitin’ For Harvest Party held at South Main’s Earnestine and Hazel’s to raise funds for their favorite institution, the Cotton Museum. Guests enjoyed live music—which showcased the talent of the museum’s board president Calvin Turley on drums—a raffle, gumbo, birthday cake, and all-you-can-eat Soul Burgers. The night ended on a high note by bringing in close to $13,000 for the museum located in the Memphis Cotton Exchange building. Karen Sudduth was recognized as the 2008 Wings Artist of the Year at a solo show and artist reception in the WingsGallery, an area inside Wings Cancer Foundation where cancer patients wait for their doctors. A cancer survivor herself, Sudduth found solace in creating watercolor paintings throughout her treatment and eventually produced the piece “Showers of Encouragement,” which she donated to the WingsGallery. Each year, the Wings Cancer Foundation highlights an artist to honor those affected by cancer and the people who make it possible for support to be available to them at no cost. Elvis Week kicked off with the Memphis Mafia Meet & Greet at Alfred’s on Beale Street. The King’s friends helped raise more than $2,000 for the Make-AWish Foundation of the Mid-South. The Elvis Presley Memorial Dinner, an annual charity dinner organized by Marian Cocke, who was Elvis Presley’s nurse during his final years, also took place during Elvis Week. Held at The Peabody, the special event brought in $6,300 for the Calm Before the Storm Foundation and Presley Place, a 12-unit apartment facility managed by MIFA. Story by Leah Fitzpatrick and Lesley Young Photos Submitted and by Lesley Young
Jerry Schilling, George Klein and Sammy Shore at Memphis Mafia Meet & Greet
Jennifer and Mark Shepherd at Wings Artist of the Year Reception
Kirk, Joanna, Karen, John and Steve Sudduth at Wings Artist of the Year Reception
Mike Everhart and Charlie Geater Jr. (back), Abbey and Ben Geater (front) at Pink Palace IMAX Club Party
Natalie Duke and Hugh Francis at Pink Palace IMAX Club Party
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EVENT
Zoo Brew Beer s from Around the World
A
ZOO BREW
warm end of summer evening at the Memphis Zoo was the perfect setting for Zoo Brew 2008. Beer connoisseurs and novices alike flocked to the benefit held for the zoo’s general animal care
and education programs. Partygoers were treated to an eclectic array of brews provided by Southwestern Beverage & Distributing, ranging from domestic ales, stouts, lambics, and lagers to imported wheats, goldens, and ambers from Europe and the Philippines. One of the most popular tables was
Mary Barnett and Will Maddox
that of Memphis’ own Ghost River Brewing, a subsidiary of Boscos
Sonia and Kcbena Cash
Brewing Company. As casually clad guests sampled the various beers, they enjoyed light hors d’oeuvres provided by Cindy Krag Catering and listened to great tunes from the Doc Shots Trio. Artist Hayden Hall also featured an exclusive pottery show for art lovers to peruse. Guest Robert Hummel jokingly referred to Zoo Brew as “a poor man’s Zoo
OCTOBER 2008
Rendezvous.” In just its second year, the event once again scored a much larger turnout than expected. Tim Dalfiume, director of events for the Memphis Zoo, indicated that in the party’s inaugural year, just 300 tickets were allocated for the event and sold out quickly as the word James Dillehay and Camiell Young
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spread. This year, organizers opted to increase the available tickets to
Dee and Joe Hettinger
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1,000 guests. The zoo’s communications specialist, Drew Smith, confirmed that Zoo Brew 2008 was another sellout. Smith estimated that about $12,000 was raised and added that organizers were “extremely pleased and already making plans for Zoo Brew 2009.” Story by Ruth Cassin Photos by John Hammer See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP Trell Shivley and Anna Barnes
Kim and Phillip Blackwell
Chris Hudgens and August LeVangie
Kim Bouchard, Holly Shotsberger, Ann Vines and Martha Christianson
Sandra and Eric Smith
EVENT
Join us for a Luncheon & Tour
ZOO BREW
A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
October 14th or October 28th at 12:00 noon. Please RSVP at 726-4881
What Makes Us Special Is What’s Inside
Lee Kunz, Irwin Magevney and Beth Richter
Gated Community Restaurant-Style Dining Garden Terraces
OCTOBER 2008
Emergency Call System with 24-Hour Monitoring and Response Bamboo Floors, Granite and Stainless Steel Finishes
1 5 5 0 N O R T H PA R K WAY • M E M P H I S , T N 3 8 1 1 2 9 0 1 . 7 2 6 . 4 8 8 1 • W W W.T H E G L E N M A R Y. C O M
Josh and Stefania Mintz
Christine and Tim Petteys
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Colin Whittington, Kelly Champion, Traci Brothers and Jonathan Hogan
Anna Featherstone and David Tuttle
Clint Cummins and Lindsay Keen
EVENT ZOO BREW Teresa and Bill Bullock
OCTOBER 2008
Joel and Maryl Smith
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Lauren McGee, Josh Gwatney and Carolyn Gill
Cody Allen and Kim Kennedy
+I T C H E N B Y -I C H E L L E +O E P P E N
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Cathy and Anthony Strong
JRW JU DQL W H" Debbie and Robert Hummel with Sue Woodall
62/ , ' 5( 387 $7, 21
EVENT ZOO RREW OCTOBER 2008
Amanda and Bryan Culotta
Melissa Ruder and Rachel Glenn
Ryan Michael and Amanda Piper
Erin Ulander, Joe Bagwell and Courtney Pruitt
Mary Beth Camurati and Bill Adams
Brandy and Christy Cooper
Lisa Hume and Daniel Colturi
Robin Steele and Mike Harris
RSVP
66
30 th A nniver s ar y
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>Â?Ă&#x203A;>Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;& tthe he A Arts rts iinn m memory emory ooff Do Dottie ttie JJones one s 2008 SEASON Free concerts Wednesdays at noon followed by lunch for $7 Oct. 29 Memphis Jazz Orchestra with Tom Prestigiacomo Nov. 5 Amy LaVere (Amy and the Tramps) Nov. 12 Kirk Whalum Nov. 19 Kallen Esperian $EC Memphis BoyChoir and Chamber Choir Dec. 10 Christmas POPS James Feddeck, conductor Sponsored by: The Daily News Publishing Company /Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;/Ă&#x2022;`Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;ÂŤĂ&#x160;Â Ă&#x20AC;iiÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x153;Â&#x2C6;VÂ&#x2026;]Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2DC;iVĂ&#x152;Â&#x2C6;VĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x152;ÂŽĂ&#x160;UĂ&#x160; >Â?Ă&#x203A;>Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160; ÂŤÂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;VÂ&#x153;ÂŤ>Â?Ă&#x160; Â&#x2026;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;VÂ&#x2026; ADDITIONAL SUPP ORT PR OV IDED BY
R ESOURCE E NTERTAINMENT G R OUP, M EMPHIS TN
Calvary Episcopal Church in Downtown Memphis .ORTH 3ECOND 3TREET s -EMPHIS 4ENNESSEE WWW CALVARYMEMPHIS ORG s
EVENT ZOO BREW Karen and Pete Viotti
Eric Satterthwaite and Meghan Brown
Katie Williams and Adam Sugg
OCTOBER 2008
Emily and Brandon Kamn
6ER SAT I L I T Y AND 3T YL E $ESI GNED OUT ,OUD
Margie and Jim Treece with Jennifer Treece and Ben Guthrie
Jean and Bram Bors-Koefoed
Russell Baker and Lisa Roberts
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67
EVENT
Spirit of SRVS
SPIRIT OF SRVS
Auction Affair
N
OCTOBER 2008
Fred and Anne Wesberry
Karen and Todd Perrin
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68
early 700 people came out to the 10th annual Spirit of SRVS Auction Affair held at the Hilton Memphis. With a wide variety of fine wines available for tasting, nibbles from Memphis favorites like Bhan Thai and Central BBQ, and auction items that ranged from unique jewelry to dinner with Coach John Calipari, the evening was a real crowd-pleaser. The ballroom quickly filled with folks mingling, browsing, grazing, imbibing, and bidding. “This being an Olympic year,” said Diana Fedinec of SRVS, “I’ve been calling this the gold medal of auction events. We have more eclectic and creative auction packages than ever, and each one is a steal of a deal.” Notable in the crowd were two ladies dressed as bunches of grapes—the evening’s eye-catching mascots. Regina Brittain, who wore the purple grapes, recently celebrated her 10th year as a SRVS coordinator and joked that she agreed to her costume “in a weak moment on a Friday afternoon!” Denice Gore completed her green grapes outfit with giant fake eyeglasses and was “hand-picked,” so to speak, as a volunteer mascot. “It’s an awesome cause!” Gore enthused. This event is the premier fund-raising event for SRVS (Shelby Residential and Vocational Services). West Tennessee’s largest provider of comprehensive services to people with developmental disabilities, SRVS supports more than more 850 individuals through a variety of programs and services. The evening’s entertainment was provided by pianist and singer Eddie Harrison, the Company d Dancers, and Rickey Frazier. Frazier, a service recipient at SRVS, is a spirited singer of gospel music who has become a regular guest of local gospel radio stations. The Company d Dancers, a performing arts troupe of young adults sponsored by the Down Syndrome Association of the Mid-South, are headed soon to New York, where they will perform as part of the NYC Buddy Walk. “With friends, food, entertainment,” continued Fedinec, “it’s a big party!” Joe Birch of WMC-TV emceed the event, and guest artist Lori Butler created the art featured on this year’s Spirit of SRVS commemorative poster. Event co-chairs were Petra Rees, president of Impact Coaching and Consulting, and Tom Schmitt, president and CEO of FedEx Global Supply Chain Services. Honorary co-chairs were Fred and Anne Wesberry.
See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP
T.C. Johnson and Kay Shelton
Story by Kelly Cox Photos by Steve Roberts
Holly Crump and Jim Liles
Josh Howell and Lauren Lee
Mike and Lisa Schwie
Brandon Wallace and Lindey Jones
Denice Gore, Carol Chumney and Regina Brittain
Jessica Branch and Lori Butler
EVENT Cary Beane and Janie Bouldin
Susan and Bill Fisher
Molly Toll and Chad Simmons
OCTOBER 2008
SPIRIT OF SRVS Kim Robinson and Patty Kirk
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69
Robert and Lanetta Lanier
Lu Harvey and Tracy Avery
Classic Cleaning by Moms, Inc.
“Quality Detailed Cleaning” Residential • Apartments • Offices Licensed • Bonded • Insured
For A Free In Home Estimate Call Candi Rhea and Vanessa Walker
Charlie and Nancy Garavelli
382-8818 MEMBER OF BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU OF THE MIDSOUTH
EVENT SPIRIT OF SRVS
Petra Rees, Jeffrie Bruton and Tom Schmitt
OCTOBER 2008
Kate Pera, Bill Albans and Emma Jean Pierotti
April and John Wise
Melvin Little and Laurie Heinz
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70
Rick and Teresa Jordan
Rickey Frazier and Joe Birch
Jane Tonning, Susan Burrow, Lillian Cara, Mary Elizabeth Sammons and Charlene Moody
Diane Malkin and Phylis Buck
Chelsey and Dustin Holmes with Carly Pratt
EVENT SPIRIT OF SRVS Nikki Brinkerhoff and Kim Kingsley
Richard Wheeler and Karen Stuart
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Mickel and Kristel Ramsay
OCTOBER 2008
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Patti Shannon and John Warra
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71
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Lynn and Will Hays
Elsie and Galon Booker
Orlando Sanders and TeNita Freeman
Valerie and Jeff Morris
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EVENT
SportsBall
SPORTSBALL
“Games for Grown-Ups, Futures For Kids”
B
OCTOBER 2008
Kelly and Neil Hughes
Patrick Lowery and Shunda Wells
RSVP
72
ig Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Memphis designed a truly original benefit gala by turning a fashion faux pas into an acceptable wardrobe accompaniment at the 11th Annual SportsBall. “Games for Grown-Ups, Futures for Kids” was the theme of the 2008 blacktie benefit in which attendees, or most of them anyway, donned athletic shoes with their tuxedos and evening gowns and participated in activities ranging from casino games to jousting. This year, the SportsBall took place in the smaller, but certainly more intimate and elegant Grand Ballroom of The Peabody hotel after years at the Cook Convention Center. Jammin’ party music ranging from hip hop to disco blared, and white stars cast from overhead lights twinkled on the walls. Buffets of game-time finger food tempted all with chicken fingers, nachos, hamburgers, mini pizzas, and a fruit/pretzel bar complete with a chocolate fountain. A silent auction offering everything from art to fishing tackle lined the entry to the ballroom, which was filled with dining tables in black linen, bistro tables in white, a wide dance floor, and of course the games: billiards, basketball, a mechanical buffalo, air hockey, and others. SportsBall host John Calipari of the University of Memphis, wearing a checked shirt sans bow tie, arrived alone but was quickly mobbed by congratulatory fans. Judge D’Army Bailey was also present wearing a beaded, black tunic shirt and black dress shoes. Holland Tudor and her guest Steve Dahle, who have both attended SportsBall multiple years, wore purple and gray Nike Bowermans and iridescent orange and gray Nike Airs, respectively. “It’s very different from the typical event,” said Tudor. “And that’s what makes it really fun.” Nancy and Don Taylor, whose daughter Lisa serves on the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ board, attended the ball for the ninth straight year. Noting the smattering of children attending, Nancy said, “This is the one ball in town that appeals to all ages. Everyone can have some fun.” Sherri Sawyer deserves credit as event chairperson for a sparkling evening courtesy of presenting sponsors Nike, FedEx, WRBO FM Soul 103.5, and Harrah’s Entertainment. All proceeds from the gala help further Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission to mentor at-risk youth.
See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP
Winston Wolfe and Pat Turner
Story by Jonathan Devin Photos by John Hammer
Tracey and Daniel Britt
Steve Dahle and Holland Tudor
Kim Preston and Jody Johnson
Jan and Tony Reed
Breck, Sherri and Skip Sawyer
Brittany Davenport and Bethany Gaskin
EVENT SPORTSBALL Lexus Nelson and Vatresa Brooks
OCTOBER 2008
Amy Lunati, Mary Ellen Morgan, Tony and Mary Armstrong
Matt and Amy Moss
RSVP
73
Rip and Bonnie McKeever
Chris and Alana Vernon
(large manufacturer of children's clothing) Spring & Fall hand smocked clothing, separates, sweaters, bibs, blankets, garment bags, totes & pillows.
ALL ITEMS $45.00 OR LESS Bryan and Kirsten Watson
Dorothy and Herb Wells
October 21st • 9am-6pm October 22nd • 9am-6pm
2809 Kirby Parkway (Kirby Gate Shopping Center) • www.littleenglish.com
EVENT SPORTSBALL OCTOBER 2008
Jan Griffin with Mark and Joanne Sullivan
Courtnee McKim and Mollie Darnaby
Kevin Danish and Shelley Hood
Chris Thomas and Angela Thomas
Jamie Bailey and Robert William
Jeff and Lisa Ince
RSVP
74
Rebecca and Brad Hirsch
Jarvis and Emily Greer
Chrissy and Rick Ouellette
Erica Smith and Dana Mister
Keri Stoller and Bill Bayrd
SPORTSBALL E V E N T
Daily from 5p
Every n Every night i g h t is is a special o ccasion. special occasion.
Slater and Andy Smith
Anita Davis and Russ Wiggington
Maurita Roland and Shannon Crowe
Kevin and Emily Landrum
OCTOBER 2008
Chef José Gutierr Gutierrez ez
1150 5 0 PPeabody e a b o d y PPlace, l a c e , SSuite u i t e 1111 11 Memphis DDowntown owntown M e m p h i s • 9901.528.1415 01.528.1415 eencore-memphis.com ncore-memphis.com
RSVP
75
Suzie Bowen, Colby Bowen and Audrey Lemmon
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Renee and Rick Roberts
Jason and Samantha Hood
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RSV PHILLIPPI
By Dennis Phillippi
AMERICA’S BLAST TIME
OCTOBER 2008
A
RSVP
76
h, fall is here. Well, from where I sit, way back at the beginning of September it sure seems that way. The air is cool, the humidity is low, and the smell of wood smoke is everywhere. Of course, being a Memphian, I know that weeks from now, where you are, it could very well be a hundred degrees and humid enough to poach an egg. It’s Memphis, what are you gonna do? Whether it’s nice or impossibly hot, it’s fall; I know this because football has begun and people I normally think of as level-headed squares turn into lunatics wearing foam rubber hats. The other night I sat with Pun, a guy I’ve known for years, as he screamed for his beloved Packers while wearing a wedge of faux cheese on his head. Pun is an odd cat to begin with, but when you mix in the passion that football stirs in many of us, he takes on a decidedly sociopathic edge. You know, in a harmless way. By and large Packers fans aren’t particularly extreme sports fans. There’s not much else going on in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and they treat the team more as religion than a sports franchise. They’re more reverent than rabid. As has been documented here, I am a long time and long-suffering New Orleans Saints fan. Saints fans don’t make a big fuss because we know when the last whistle blows we’re probably not going to have a lot of bragging rights. Sure, a couple of years ago the Saints had a good season, but even the most casual of sports fans know that’s the exception that proves the rule. Telling someone that you’re a Saints fan gets the same look as telling someone you’re going to have to quit drinking because of your liver. It’s a look of pity, but tinged with reproach. The look says, “That’s awful, but you brought this on yourself.” In this part of the world the two most…um, let’s say challenging professional football fans to watch a game with would be Steelers fans and Cowboys fans. Both of these teams have fans that have a sense of entitlement that is out of proportion with their teams’ recent history. Yes, the Steelers won a Super Bowl recently, but that was after a draught of nearly 26 years. I’m happy for my Steelers fan friends that they got one, but even they
will admit that they begin each season with the expectation that they will win the Super Bowl, and win it by the largest margin in history, or the coach will need to be fired and possibly executed. They are fanatical, bleed black and yellow, and along with the rest of us, have no idea why their logo is only on one side of their helmet. Cowboys fans are born Cowboys fans. No one would choose to be a
A Raiders fan can be coaxed into violence more easily than any other fan because they used to be so good, but that was so long ago the pictures are sepia toned and the film in black and white. Cowboys fan because the Cowboys are hands down the most despised franchise in all of professional sports. Think about it. What other team inspires such unreasoning hatred? The Steelers aren’t even close on this one. The Saints aren’t hated, they’re pitied. The only team that comes close is the Yankees, and that’s largely because they win so much. Oh, and they’re Yankees. The Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1996, and that team had more felons than a Nicolas Cage movie. Their current quarterback, Tony Romo, pushes every Cowboy hater button. He’s cocky, but in a self-deprecating way. He’s a winner, but not in the playoffs, and he’s dating Jessica Simpson, who is so hot we can forget that she has a head full of cotton candy. Cowboys fans are Cowboys fans from the womb and cannot and would not change for any reason, even as Tom Landry was being shown the door while being handed his checkered hat. Then there are Raiders fans. This isn’t a huge contingent in Memphis necessarily, but even a small amount of Raiders fans is like radioactive material, dangerous to begin with, and unbelievably volatile. A Raiders fan can be coaxed into violence more easily than any other fan because
they used to be so good, but that was so long ago the pictures are sepia toned and the film in black and white. Calm down Raiders fans, that’s a joke. The Raiders were in the Super Bowl just five years ago. Granted, they lost, but the Saints were last in the Super Bowl in exactly never. There are plenty of arguments in the sports world about who has the most classless fans, that would be the Chicago White Sox, and who has the classiest fans, probably the Colts, but there’s no argument at all on which sport has the most fans: the NFL. Baseball still owns the tag “America’s Past Time” because no one is entirely sure what a past time is and whether you want to be it. The NBA is easily the most international American sport. We invented it and then exported it like “Baywatch.” But the NFL is the most popular sport in this country by a landslide. If you don’t believe me, try playing the jukebox in a bar on a Sunday afternoon. In some places in the South, that’s a hanging offense. Why is it the most popular sport in this country? That’s an easy one, it’s violent, which we love, and it happens in short spurts and therefore doesn’t require the focus of everything else from soccer to baseball. NASCAR is fast approaching football in popularity, and non-race fans argue that they find people driving fast in an oval turning left a bunch demands too much attention to something they find non-compelling. But as a race fan, I can tell you that once you get into the groove of a race it’s very much like football, you don’t have to watch it every second to know what’s going on, and much of the time something really violent happens. I love baseball, but there’s very little chance that during a baseball game there’s going to be an explosion. Just as during a baseball game it’s extremely rare for a 300pound guy to land on a kicker. That’s why we love football. Hand me a beer.
There’s nothing like the smell of a pigskin on a cool fall day or RSVP’s humor columnist-turned-football fanatic professing his love for the NFL. Though we admire Dennis Phillippi’s devotion to a team that consistently remains at the bottom of the barrel, we can’t excuse his loyalty to a team residing outside of his home state.
AT
After Hours A photo collage of the latest business happenings
ARTISTS
ON
TAVIS SMILEY DOCUMENTARY TAPING THE INN AT HUNT PHELAN
AT
AFTER HOURS
YANSI FUGEL EXCLUSIVE TRUNK SHOW KITTIE KYLE
CENTRAL ART SHOW OPENER
Cindy Gambrell Michael Eric Dyson, Gwen Harmon and Dr. Cornell West
Carol Furr and Julie Saxon
“GIRLS NIGHT OUT”
AT
CIRCA 1ST ANNIVERSARY PARTY
Rodney Herenton and Alex Turner
MEDNIKOW
OCTOBER 2008
Mindy Roberts, April Wright and Frank Roberts
HILTON HOLLIS FASHION SHOW (BENEFITING THE WOMEN’S FOUNDATION FOR A GREATER MEMPHIS) AT JOSEPH
Christina Moran, Angela Acuff, Tiffany Brimhall and Cathy Scheuer Amy Howell, John Bragg, Kristen Myers and Audrey Evensky
LANSKY BROS. HONORED WITH UPTOWN/DOWNTOWN AWARD IN NEW YORK
Ruby Bright and Honey Scheidt
Janice Swah, Joan Hawkins and Emily Oliva
Hal, Julie and Bernard Lansky Gina True, Kara Bius and Jenna Howard
Curt Gabardi and Christy Sharp
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77
RSVPAST
The Cotton Trade
OCTOBER 2008
1939
RSVP
78
T
he Memphis Cotton Exchangeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history remains alive and well at The Cotton Museum on Front and Union. Inside the museum, visitors can step onto the former trading floor and learn about the days when cotton was king. Photographer Marion Post Wolcott, working under the auspices of the Farm Security Administration, snapped this photo of the Exchange to show the everyday lives of working people across America at the time. PHOTO COURTESY OF CALVIN J. TURLEY OF THE COTTON MUSEUM If you have a past photo you would like to share with RSVP readers, please contact Leah Fitzpatrick at 276-7787 ext. 105 or e-mail the photo and caption to editor@rsvpmagazine.com All photos will be returned promptly.
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